Treating hair loss with acupuncture & natural remedies

You might feel that you have already tried everything you can to manage your hair loss – whether it’s due to hormonal changes or alopecia. You may have even tried all types of preparations, potions, varying your overall hair care regimens, hair implants, wigs, caps and more, all to no avail. There are a lot of alternative treatments for conditions like alopecia. One which is gaining in popularity and has been affective for many is acupuncture. Learn more about it below.

What causes Alopecia & Hair Loss

While many men and women suffer from hair loss that is stress or hormone related, another common cause is Alopecia.

It has been shown that there is a gene that is responsible for alopecia. Unfortunately, little more is known than that, so there still is not a cure for it. More and more people are feeling the affects of this disorder and it doesn’t matter what gender the sufferer is. The number of products and the amount of money spent each year continues to soar. Sadly, this is wasted on products that mostly do not work, make matters worse, or cause other issues. Which is why many people are turning back to ancient Eastern medical practices. One that is common for many of physical treatments is acupuncture, and now this is being used for treating alopecia. Research has found that the cause of alopecia is related to DHT, which is what is causing the shortened lifespan of hair due to shrunken follicles and inhibited hair growth. It is assumed that prostaglandins may be the culprit, but that is just a theory at this point.

As for how acupuncture helps alopecia sufferers, it is quite similar to how it is used for other conditions. Hair loss is linked to vital substances like other parts of the body. Two of these are the health of the internal organs and blood. Unlike some other types of acupuncture, the affects can be more successful when using internal and topical herbal treatments as a part of the acupuncture treatment plan. In this case, most likely specially formulated shampoos and scalp washes. One acupuncture technique widely used to treat this condition is micro-current stimulation near the scalp. The pins placed properly in this area help improve nutrients and blood circulation to the scalp that help with encouraging new hair growth.

As with many courses of treatment, the results may tend to take time to see the intended result – from a few weeks to many months. Although, signs of improvement should start appearing early on in the treatment. If you have been losing hair for a longer period of time, you should expect treatments to last longer.

At St. Louis Acupuncture, we will develop a personal plan and treatment for your specific needs instead of one that is a “one size fits all” treatment. Every alopecia sufferer has different causes and needs, therefore they need a customized treatment plan.

While Eastern medicine usually gets a bad reputation as being unfounded, unsafe, or just ridiculous, do not discount it for treating your hair loss. Many of the naysayers are proponents of western treatments that prove year after year that they are ineffective, but able to sell like there’s no tomorrow. If you have exhausted all of these resources, you should try going to a qualified acupuncturist to treat your alopecia.